When I lived in New York City, one of my favorite neighborhood haunts was a place called Rolf’s. About once each month I’d eat dinner there because I loved one of their German dishes so much: rahmschnitzel. “Rahm” means cream in German and rahmschnitzel is thin-sliced pork or veal in a rich cream sauce. It’s sooooo good! Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. canola oil. 4 6-ounce … [Read more...]
Harissa Mussels with Chorizo
Ever since I first visited Brussels, I’ve loved steamed mussels and make them at home frequently. They are very easy and quick to prepare. I have about a dozen different steamed mussels recipes that I use and this is one of my favorites. It’s got a Moroccan flair with the use of spicy harissa paste and chorizo. Many markets carry harissa, but if you can’t find it you could … [Read more...]
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
After Thanksgiving winds down, I always look forward to using some of the turkey leftovers to make turkey tetrazzini. Although it sounds like an Italian dish, tetrazzini was created in America at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, and named for opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, who was a long-time hotel resident. Ingredients: 12 oz. spaghetti or other pasta or noodles … [Read more...]
Scheff’s Table: Pork Chile Verde
One thing I love about fall and winter weather is that it’s an excuse to make hearty soups and stews. And probably my very favorite stew is pork chile verde. There are lots of different variations on chile verde. For example, I use tomatoes in mine while some people prefer tomatillos. Feel free to experiment with this recipe and make it your own. Ingredients: 10-12 Anaheim … [Read more...]
Quick and Easy Pad Thai
Pad Thai might seem like one of those dishes that you can only get in restaurants. However, it is surprisingly quick and easy to make at home. The key is to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go, since the actual cooking time for this recipe is just a matter of a few minutes. Ingredients: 8 ounces flat rice noodles (I like linguine or fettuccine width) 2-3 … [Read more...]
Shrimp Saag Recipe
Whenever we go to an Indian restaurant, my wife’s favorite dish to order is shrimp saag. What is saag? Well, it’s a leaf-based type of curry eaten in India, made with leafy veggies like spinach, mustard greens, basella, collard greens, or a combination of those. A popular version is saag paneer, which is creamy and made with fresh Indian cheese called paneer. This recipe is for … [Read more...]
Back to School: 5 Great Fall Cookbooks
I love the cool fall weather, in part because it gets me back into the kitchen. Autumn is my favorite season for cooking - a time when we reintroduce heartier, more robust fare and flavors and retire, at least temporarily, lighter summer menus. If you’re looking for inspiration to embolden your own cooking, here are some great new fall cookbooks to turn to. I’ve seen a … [Read more...]
Crab-Stuffed Spring Rolls
I love Vietnamese-style spring rolls, which are made using rice paper wrappers. They are really quite simple to make, and no cooking is even necessary. Obviously, you could put any ingredients you like into your spring rolls. So this recipe is really just a starting point. I love fresh crab, for example, but you could substitute shrimp or ground pork or just use veggies. Be … [Read more...]
Braised Chicken Quarters with Herbs
This braised chicken is a terrific fall dish, full of hearty, robust flavor. If you prefer to use individual chicken thighs and legs as opposed to chicken thigh-leg quarters, go for it! The chicken and sauce is excellent with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes alongside. Ingredients: 3 Tbs. olive oil 4 bone-in chicken thigh and drumstick quarters (or separate thighs & … [Read more...]